As if preseason tickets weren't already a sore point between fans and the NFL, throw in the possibility of a preseason game not happening to really sweeten the pot. Ticket sales for the August 7 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, OH, featuring the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears, are lagging compared to last year, according to the HOF president.
Lagging ticket sales or not, the league and both the Rams and the Bears have told the HOF that they plan on playing the game. Read into this whatever you want. Yes, it could be a sign that there is some measure of confidence internally that a deal is eminent. It could also be another example of teams proceeding under the auspices of business as usual, a necessary precaution should a deal suddenly be reached. It's also a necessary precaution to go out and hustle season ticket sales.
July 15 remains d-day for the preseason, including the annual Hall of Fame Game, to happen as scheduled. That would almost certainly mean that a deal has to be reached in principal this week, with finalization happening next week, in order for the Rams to start camp as scheduled on Friday, July 22.
FWIW, I think that the teams should wear leather helmets, really making the link to history.